The Trail Between the Cabins

Some of my favorite childhood memories were made at a family camp in Northern Ontario. Looking back, it wasn’t any one event that made those summers special. It was the time spent with family, the adventures on the lake, and the simple moments that have stayed with me over the years.

My dad had built a small sleep cabin down a trail from my aunt and uncle’s camp. It wasn’t a long walk during the day, but at night it could feel a lot longer.

Most weekends in the summer were spent at camp. Even though we lived in the country, camp felt different. Being on the lake meant there was always something to do. Most of our days were spent at my aunt and uncle’s camp where everyone gathered together.

We spent a lot of time on the lake. There was always something to do. Swimming, boating, fishing, water skiing, and jumping off the dock filled many of my summer days.

One of my favorite memories is learning to swim at the end of my aunt and uncle’s dock. At first, I wore water wings and stayed close to the dock. My uncle spent time teaching me how to swim and showing me not to be afraid of the water.

Eventually, he convinced me to take off the water wings.

I was nervous at first, but before long I was swimming on my own. After that, I wasn’t afraid of the water anymore. I was soon jumping off the dock and on occasion swimming along the shoreline between my aunt and uncle’s camp and our sleep cabin.

I spent a lot of time in that lake as a kid.

We also spent a lot of time out on the water. One summer, my dad built a homemade surfboard. We would stand on it while holding onto a rope behind the boat. It wasn’t exactly water skiing and it wasn’t exactly surfing, but it was a lot of fun.

Later on, my brother and I learned how to water ski and took turns behind the boat. We were always looking forward to our next turn out on the water. I remember falling while learning to water ski, but that was all part of it.

I also remember spending time in our aluminum boat with my dad. I would kneel at the front while he drove from the back. I liked watching the waves and looking out across the lake. Those are some of the memories that have stayed with me over the years.

Fishing was another big part of camp life. Sometimes the whole family would go fishing together. Other times, I would fish from the dock at our sleep cabin or from my aunt and uncle’s dock.

One day while fishing from my aunt and uncle’s dock, I hooked the biggest fish I had ever caught. At first, I thought it was a pike, but when we got a closer look, we realized it was actually a musky.

At the time, I couldn’t believe how big it was.

My dad helped me unhook it and release it back into the lake. Watching it swim away was almost as exciting as catching it.

Not all of my memories from the lake involved fish.

One day, I looked down and noticed a bloodsucker attached to my toe. I immediately let out a scream. There was no way I was touching it or trying to pull it off myself.

My dad came over, grabbed the salt shaker, and sprinkled some salt on it. It let go almost right away and was easy to remove.

After that, I wasn’t scared of bloodsuckers anymore. I knew all I needed was a little salt.

The lake wasn’t the only place where I spent my time at camp.

Behind the sauna were rocky hills covered with wild blueberry bushes. During the summer, I would climb the hills and pick blueberries. I enjoyed exploring up there and seeing how many berries I could find. There always seemed to be plenty growing among the rocks and brush.

As I got older, I started exploring some of the trails around camp on a four-wheeler. One trail led from our sleep cabin through the bush and out to an opening where the hydro lines crossed overhead. From there, another trail connected to an old dirt road that eventually met the main camp road.

It probably wasn’t as far as it seemed at the time, but as a kid it felt like a real adventure.

When I wasn’t swimming, fishing, or exploring, I enjoyed playing Scrabble with my mom and aunt. We would sit outside in the sunshine, either on the deck or down by the shoreline, and play several games throughout the afternoon.

The games could be quite serious. My mom and aunt were both good players, and it was always a challenge for me to win. I spent a lot of time studying my letters and looking for words that would give me a chance to beat them.

Those afternoons playing Scrabble with my mom and aunt are some of my favorite camp memories.

When my older cousins were at camp for the weekend, there was usually a lot more activity around the lake.

After supper and the sauna, we would often gather around the table and play card games. The games were always fun, but they could be challenging too. I remember enjoying those evenings with my cousins and the adults.

Sometimes my cousins’ friends would come over from their camps on the lake. They usually arrived by boat and before long there would be a game of horseshoes underway.

My cousins and their friends would play while family and friends gathered around the horseshoe pits. I wasn’t usually playing, but I enjoyed watching the games and being part of the activity.

It seemed like there was always something going on when everyone was at camp for the weekend.

Eventually, the evening would come to an end and it would be time for me to head back to our sleep cabin. My younger brother was often already asleep, so many times I made the walk alone.

It wasn’t a long walk during the day, but at night it could feel a lot longer.

Walking with a flashlight, I would start down the trail through the bush. During the day, the trail was familiar and easy to follow. At night, it felt completely different.

Every sound seemed louder in the dark. A rustle in the bushes or the snap of a branch was enough to get my imagination going. Like most kids growing up in Northern Ontario, I knew there were bears in the woods. More than once I found myself wondering if one might suddenly step out onto the trail.

Of course, that never happened.

Still, I always felt relieved when our sleep cabin finally came into view. Once I saw it, I knew I was almost home.

It was just something I got used to doing.

When I think back on those summers, I remember swimming off the dock, fishing from both docks, boating with my dad, riding on the homemade surfboard, water skiing with my brother, and learning not to be afraid of the water.

I remember climbing the hills behind the sauna to pick blueberries, exploring the trails on the four-wheeler, and spending hours in the lake. I remember trying to beat my mom and aunt at Scrabble, playing cards with my older cousins and the adults, and watching horseshoe games when my cousins’ friends came over from their camps on the lake.

I also remember walking back to our sleep cabin at night with a flashlight, listening to every sound in the bush and hoping a bear wouldn’t come out onto the trail.

At the time, it was just camp life.

Those summers gave me a lot of good memories that I still think about today.